Today was the first full hearing if the so-called super committee in Congress, a group of 12 lawmakers chosen by leaders of both parties to find a fix for the national debt.

Assistant Minority Leader Jim Clyburn

The group today heard from Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf. South Carolina’s 6th District Congressman Jim Clyburn, a panel member, asked about a CBO report on jobs.

“Gains in employment in the next several years will rely more than usual on the creation of new jobs with different businesses in different industries and locations and requiring workers with different skills. Do you still feel that to be true?” Clyburn asked.

The CBO director’s agreed and explained that the types of jobs out there have changed. He says there is what he called a “structural mismatch” which makes it harder for people go back to their old jobs.

“Because it’s not so much going back, as going on to something else,” Elmendorf told the panel.

Clyburn then said there are more people needing more help from the government.

“That means that the burden of doing ‘smart cuts’ is greater than what it may appear, just looking at the numbers. It means we really need to look into all of these programs to see exactly where cuts ought to be made rather than just dealing with a number, ” he added.

The panel has three months to find $1.5 trillion in deficit savings through spending cuts or tax changes. Clyburn says they have been discussing making that number closer to $2 trillion in savings.